Well, with my huge stock-pile of food, we are still doing just fine with only purchasing fresh produce, eggs, and dairy. Confession: You will see a little package of Hormel’s Naturals lunch meat in this grocery shopping picture from this week. I needed some slivered ham for a fun breakfast idea my friend Brenda told me about at Bunco. I had to have it, yes I did. You’ll be thankful she told me about this and that I veered off course just enough to buy it. Just wait until I share the recipe. :)
This isn’t everything, by the way. I had to make a mid-week run to the store since we were almost out of everything fresh.
I got cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, and I can’t remember what else because it’s gone already.
Can you believe I bought strawberries in January?? I can’t even believe it. Somehow, they were a great price and actually looked good. This never happens in Nebraska, but seeing as we are having 50° weather, it does sort of feel like spring. Even if these strawberries aren’t as delicious as they are in the summertime, I figure that at the very least we can choke them down with some Chocolate Whipped Cream. Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.
I bought three packages of blueberries this week – woohoo for price matching! I also price-matched broccoli, cauliflower, and apples. This price-matching thing has been saving me a bundle.
Speaking of which, I am excited to share that our family has seen some significant grocery budget savings this month since I’ve bought only fresh food and have avoided buying anything for our freezers or pantry. We will be ending the month with spending at just a tad over $400. This number is fantastic for my family in this season of life. (Oh my, I remember the days I spent less than that for everything including meat and pantry staples. Hello, teenage appetites.)
I have also found it interesting to note that it takes between $100-$130 per week to keep us in fresh produce, eggs, and milk. Seem like a lot? I beg to differ. That amount goes a long way toward awesome nutrition so it is very, very worth it. I also love thinking about how our preserved garden produce helps keep that amount as low as it is. I also (how many times can I use also in the same paragraph?) realize how blessed we are that our fresh milk and eggs are priced so very reasonably.
And now, here is our list of menu items for this week. What a blessing to have so much variety and so much good food!
Breakfast
- Flaky Cream Cheese Pastry
- Instant Oatmeal Packets
- Grape Nuts Cereal
- Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Cheese
- Quick Mix Pancakes
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Peanut Butter Breakfast Cake
Lunch
- Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Salad
- Beef Summer Sausage
- Cheddar Ranch Burgers
- Spanish Rice
- Salmon Patties
- Taco Corn Fritters
- Pizza Soup
Dinner
- Italian Cream Cheese Chicken
- One Dish Meat And Potato Casserole
- Homemade Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese
- Easy Noodle Stir Fry
- Chicken Tacos
- Tuna Casserole
- Potato Soup
Fruit and Veggie Sides (I serve 1-4 with each meal)
- Clementines
- Strawberries with Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Steamed Broccoli and Carrots
- Cheesy Cauliflower Cakes
- Cucumbers, Carrots, and Broccoli with Easy Veggie Dip
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Apples with Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
- Pears
- Applesauce
- Pickles
- Green Beans
- Peas
- Mixed Greens
- Spinach
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Tomatoes
- Sweet Peppers
If you are also taking an “Eat from the Pantry and Freezer” Challenge, I’d love to hear how it is going for you!
Christine says
You’re lucky your produce is so cheap. I live in NJ and blueberries in that size costs $9.00. Strawberries in the same size container are $4. Our family sees no fresh strawberries or blueberries in the winter.
Amy S says
We are lucky enough to have a Farmer’s Market within 40 minutes of our house. We visit every 2 weeks and stock up. We have been enjoying some really good berries and red navel oranges. Yum!
We are cleaning out the freezer and pantry too. It’s always fun to see what you can come up with. Pull out the cookbooks and browse for a few new recipes. Use up the bits and nibbles of this and that.
Brenda says
Your freezer and pantry challenge came at a great time! We are trying to pile up cash to buy a new vehicle, so I was planning to do this before you posted. We purchased 1/4 beef and 40 lbs of chicken in the fall, so we have plenty of meat. I impressed myself this week by making dinner twice from just what we had on hand.
One night was homemade calzones – we doubled your recipe and froze half for lunches over the next 2 weeks.
I am so surprised at how far we can make our pantry foods stretch when we get a little creative. Love your blog.
Amy says
I was wondering if you could post sometime about how price matching works, what stores do it, etc. Thanks!
Joy says
I am wondering the same thing. You mention “price matching”, but I’ve never understood how you do it. Maybe we don’t have that type of system around where I live. Could you explain it a little more? Thanks!
Kristin says
I’ve been doing a pantry challenge since the first week in January. It has really helped me to realize what we actually NEED. I have never been good at sticking with a budget for groceries, but this challenge is making it easier to figure out what that right number is for our family that allows us to have variety and to stock up on good deals, while reigning in the spending a bit.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
I was really hoping that you would share your numbers with us. It is always so interesting to see the difference in prices across the country. I only have 2 boys, but I know exactly what you mean about those teenage appetites. We are blessed that we can keep them full with healthy food. I can’t believe how warm it is for you and that you are eating fresh strawberries!
We’ve been eating a lot of oranges and bananas this month as oranges are on sale. I’ve managed to keep my spending down this month, as well. We’re under $400, but I haven’t been sticking to just produce and dairy. I’ve been buying whatever has been on sale. I enjoy these types of challenges. It makes me incredibly thankful for how much we have.